Religion: Pomp

More adept than any other at investing its ceremonies with glittery pomp, the Roman Catholic Church lavishly outdoes itself every two years when it stages an international Eucharistic Congress. Last week the 32nd Eucharistic Congress opened in Buenos Aires.

At a lightship 125 miles down the River Plate from Buenos Aires an escort of six cruisers picked up the S. S. Conte Grande which was flying the yellow-&-white papal flag and bearing His Eminence Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli. Secretary of State to Pope Pius XI (TIME, Oct. 1). As the liner proceeded up the broad River Plate, a flagship banged out a 21-gun salute and all craft in sight broke out bunting. Through the bright spring morning air sounded the bells of Buenos Aires’ 103 churches. Shore batteries rumbled through another long salute and Cardinal Pacelli was welcomed off his ship by Argentina’s President Augustin P. Justo. Escorted in a coach through four miles of people-packed streets, Cardinal Pacelli stopped briefly in the Cathedral. Then he went to the sumptuous mansion of the Countess of Olmo, Argentina’s richest woman landowner. There he occupied an austere apartment, containing, at his request, the minimum of necessary furniture. In the centre of Palermo Park, one of the world’s largest, was erected a great cross, 100 ft. high, of white stucco, with great altars on all four sides. There Cardinal Pacelli joined with four other Princes of the Church—Verdier of Paris, Hlond of Poland, Cerejeira of Portugal and Leme da Silviera of Brazil—in opening the Congress to 600,000 Catholics, 75,000 of whom had come from outside Buenos Aires, 5,000 from overseas. As papal legate Cardinal Pacelli read a bull from the Pope. Excerpt: ”We do not doubt that the celebration of the Congress not only demonstrates the universality of the Church, but also shows the splendid brilliance of the reign of Christ the King. . . . We have chosen our legate who in his most ample dignity and power represents our person in the Congress. . . .” Then the Cardinal-Legate spoke mystically: “The white eucharistic forms of innumerable grains of wheat compenetrated in indissoluble union are the symbol of what, according to Jesus Christ, men should be.” His hearers shouted: “Long live Jesus Christ, the King of Peace!” On a third bright spring morning 110,000 children, the girls in white frocks and veils, the boys in white dusters, marched down four wide avenues to the great cross. There at the four altars four scarlet-robed Cardinals celebrated mass. Well-drilled, the 110,000 moppets rose, genuflected and crossed themselves in unison. When the moment came to partake of the consecrated wafer, 300 priests and monks distributed it in the vast crowd. Impressed by this gigantic act of faith, Cardinal Pacelli exclaimed: “This is heaven!” Afterwards, efficient nuns briskly served the children with hot chocolate and cakes. When the four Cardinals beheld this, they too wished to break their fast. Thereupon hot chocolate and cakes were served them on their thrones. Next day was Columbus Day, celebrated in Latin America as ”The Day of the Race.” In honor of the Eucharistic Congress the customary soccer games and races were called off. The morning soon grew hot. At mass, celebrated for half a million people at the great cross by the Bishop of Alicante, Spain, permission was given the men to wear their hats, the clergy their birettas. Since the women had been ordered to wear dark dresses and mantillas, the only relief that could be suggested was for them to move from their sunny benches into the shade. Few did, and during the mass 500 women and girls collapsed. Twice on the closing day of the Eucharistic Congress 1,000,000 people fervently massed in Palermo Park for a pontifical mass celebrated by Cardinal Pacelli, and a long triumphal procession. Through loudspeakers at the close of the mass came the firm voice of Pope Pius XI. In a benediction broadcast to the world he said: “Only where the peace of Christ in the kingdom of Christ rules are there offers of promises. Only so, in fact, will this poor world, which we see afflicted with fraternal and regal bloodshed, be able to find true and stable peace, free from so many evils.”